Projectile launching toys have proven to be a very popular type of toy for a number of years. Not surprisingly, practitioners in the art have provided a variety of such toys utilizing various apparatus for providing projectile launch. Such launching apparatus have included the use of stored energy within a spring acting directly upon the projectile, the use of pressurized air acting upon the projectile which is either derived from a pressurized reservoir or a spring-driven pump of some sort, or combinations of these and other launching apparatus. The common factor of such projectile launching toys is to impart sufficient energy to the projectile to achieve successful launch.
The types of projectiles launched by such toys has been subject to substantial variation also. For example, projectile launching toys have been provided which launch simulated toy rockets, small toy airplanes, simulated "bullets" as well as various types of toy or simulated arrows.
Due to the long term popularity of such projectile launching toys, a variety of such devices are found within the prior art. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 37,173 issued to Lindner sets forth an AIR GUN having a pistol-shape housing supporting an elongated hollow barrel receiving a projectile therein. The pistol includes a spring driven plunger and means for drawing the plunger rearwardly against the spring and releasing it to pressurize air within the barrel and launch the projectile.
U.S. Pat. No. 408,971 issued to Hamilton sets forth an AIR GUN having a rifle-shaped housing defining an elongated hollow barrel and an internalized pressurizable cylinder coupled thereto. A spring-driven plunger is movable within the barrel and is operated by a cocking mechanism to be drawn rearwardly and released forcing pressurized air outwardly through the hollow barrel launching the projectile.
U.S. Pat. No. 179,526 issued to Curtiss sets forth a TOY PISTOL having an elongated barrel coupled to a pistol housing within which a plunger is movably supported. A spring is coupled to the plunger and an operative mechanism is provided which draws the plunger rearwardly against the spring producing a launching force.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,065,556 issued to Searle sets forth a MAGAZINE AIR RIFLE having a rifle housing supporting an elongated barrel and a movable piston in communication therewith. A spring is coupled to the piston and a cocking mechanism draws the piston rearwardly against the spring and a trigger releases the captive piston to provide a burst of air. Also shown is a projectile magazine which inserts a projectile each time the device is cocked.
U.S. Pat. No. 507,470 issued to Bailey sets forth a REPEATING AIR GUN having a hollow barrel coupled to an air cylinder having a spring-loaded piston therein. A mechanism is provided for drawing the piston rearwardly against the spring and for releasing to launch a projectile within the barrel. A magazine supports a plurality of projectiles proximate to the barrel which are inserted each time the device is cocked.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,542,777 issued to Loew sets forth a PELLET PROJECTING TOY GUN having a pellet receiving barrel coupled to an air cylinder within which a spring-loaded piston is supported. A cocking mechanism draws the piston rearwardly against the spring and a trigger mechanism operates to release the captive piston providing a burst of air.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,848,307 issued to Tsao sets forth a TOY AIR PISTOL FOR LAUNCHING MISSILE BULLET having a pistol-shape housing supporting a rotating multiple bore cylinder in communication with a barrel. Means are provided for rotating the cylinder bearing a plurality of missile bullets therein sequentially into alignment with the barrel and for providing a burst of pressurized air to launch the missile bullet.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,540,426 issued to Lohr, et al. sets forth an AIR GUN having an elongated hollow barrel coupled to a collapsible closed end bellows. A spring-loaded plunger is aligned with the collapsible bellows and is urged toward the bellows by a drive spring. A cocking and trigger means are provided for drawing the plunger away from the bellows against the spring and releasing the plunger to engage the bellows and rapidly compress it producing pressurized air within the barrel and launching the projectile.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,473,419 issued to Cudlipp; U.S. Pat. No. 1,546,994 issued to Parker; and U.S. Pat. No. 2,029,036 issued to Rottner set forth toy pistols or guns for launching a toy airplane or the like.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,659,177 issued to Kopf sets forth a BUBBLE BLOWING GUN having a spring-driven air plunger in a pistol-shaped housing directed toward a bubble blowing apparatus.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,993,297 issued to Bednar, et al. and U.S. Pat. No. 4,076,006 issued to Breslow, et al. set forth pneumatic rocket launchers utilizing a collapsible bladder which is compressed by the user's foot or hand to launch the rocket.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,242,323 issued to Rappaport sets forth a AIR-PULSE POWERED TOY BOW AND ARROW SET having a simulated crossbow supporting a projectile launching barrel coupled to a spring-driven air plunger. The barrel includes a hollow launch tube which receives a closed end hollow projectile resembling an arrow.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,134,228 issued to Ortiz sets forth an INFLATED TOY BALLOON LAUNCHER having a pistol-shaped housing to which a balloon projectile is coupled together with means operative in response to trigger movement for inflating the balloon to an extent sufficient to launch the balloon and projectile from the pistol housing.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,751,711 issued to Greenwood; U.S. Pat. No. 4,710,146 issued to Rasmussen, et al; and U.S. Pat. No. 3,430,620 issued to Davis set forth various missile launching toy guns.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,501,567 issued to Cathell and U.S. Pat. No. 3,895,459 issued to Morrison, et al. set forth toy vehicle launching devices having handheld actuators.
Australian Patent 137,075 issued to Wiggins sets forth an improved TOY GUN having a frame supporting a cylindrical barrel within which a spring-driven plunger is supported. A trigger mechanism is provided which includes a pivotally secured trigger level having an aperture therethrough which receives the plunger shaft. The lever is movable by a spring and is urged toward a position gripping the shaft. The trigger is released by the user overcoming the spring force and drawing the pivoting lever into a generally perpendicular relationship with the shaft.
While the foregoing described prior art devices have improved the art and have, in many instances, enjoyed commercial success, there remains nonetheless a continuing need in the art for evermore improved air powered projectile launchers.